Abortion Rights Blog

TUC Women’s Conference to discuss abortion rights

This year’s TUC Women’s Conference will take place in Eastbourne on 9th – 11th March. Abortion Rights is delighted that Accord has tabled a conference motion supporting the protection and extension of abortion rights for UK women. The TUC and women trade unionists are staunch supporters of reproductive rights and we encourage all delegates to back this excellent motion.

TUC Women’s Conference Motion on abortion rights

“Conference re-affirms its support for a woman’s right to choose, and believes that it is important to safeguard women’s right to choose at a time when the anti-choice lobby is gaining momentum. Conference is concerned by high profile attacks on a woman’s right to choose by Conservative MP Nadine Dorries and by retired Conservative MP, Ann Widdecombe.

Conference is concerned by the impact that cuts to local authority and NHS budgets may have on family planning and sexual and reproductive health services.

Conference asserts that all women should have the right to control their own fertility, reproductive health, and the number of children she chooses to have and when.

ii. campaign amongst affiliates, and with the Irish, Scottish and Welsh Women’s Committees, to defend the current legal upper limit of 24 weeks and oppose any mandatory ‘cooling-off’ period and compulsory counselling;

iii. campaign for the right of workers in sexual health and abortion services to be free to work without fear of abuse or attack;

iv. call for the extension of the 1967 Act to Northern Ireland; and

v. campaign to save family planning and sexual and reproductive health services from local cuts.”